I have been inserting PICCs in the pediatric population for about 3 months now (I placed neonatal prior).  I am becoming frustrated with the manner in which I am to practice. I just want to know what everyone else out there is doing in reference to sedation and positioning. Do you use conscious sedation? How do you hold their arm still? Any special method? I just feel like I am getting an upper body workout everytime I do a line on a child ~18 months to early elementary school age. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please respond!!!!
Anna: We do use child life, we do use some sedation (99.9% of the time I have to ask/beg), and I do have someone hold the shoulder, and sometimes the shoulder and hand/wrist and someone else hold legs. We also 'burrito' wrap.
Sedation Team sounds great... who is that comprised of? RN's? Doc's?
gretchen: we sedate with propofol as the other responses have indicated. Intensivist to administer and an RN to monitor and recover the patient. We scan the patients and apply EMLA one to two hours prior to the PICC placement. Along with the infusion, the intensivist gives 10 more of propofol just before we start the MST needle. I don't experience the child moving if I use EMLA as well as sedation. LMX does not work in my experience as well as EMLA. If no emla, I'd rather dot sedate at all.
Moira McErlean